Mehedi Hasan Biography

Few Test debuts have been as sensational as that of Mehedi Hasan Miraz. He got the second over ahead of Shakib Al Hasan on debut and routed England with 6 for 80, adding 1 for 58 in the second innings for good measure — this time after bowling the first over. He was a mere 18.

In his second Test he bowled first over in each innings. He won the second Test for Bangladesh, this time with 6 for 82 and 6 for 77. It was Bangladesh’s first Test win against England, or for that matter, against any Test side barring Zimbabwe and a third-string West Indies. The success came on rank turners, but Mehedi was lauded by all and sundry for showing tremendous maturity and not getting carried away by the assistance he got from the pitches.

While he can turn his off-breaks by the proverbial mile, he also bowls — without any prominent change of action — a straighter one that zips through. Add to that his phenomenal accuracy, and you have a bowler batsmen will be wary in the coming years despite those innocent eyes and broad grin.

Mehedi broke through to Under-19 cricket at a mere 15. That same year he routed West Indies Under-19s for 143 with figures of 10-1-17-5. In Under-19 World Cup 2014 his 7 wickets came at 28; in 2016, his 12 wickets came at a mere 18 to go with an economy rate of 3.75; and he scored fifties in each of his last 4 innings in the tournament.

In between these came an amazing performance in the 2015 tour of South Africa, where Bangladesh Under-19s thrashed the hosts 5-2. Mehedi claimed 14 wickets, double the next man (boy?) from either side. He 4 youth ‘Tests’, all against Sri Lanka Under-19s, have come at 23. He also became the second Bangladeshi to score a hundred on Under-19 ‘Test’ debut and averages 50 with bat at that level, which tells a thing or two about his prowess at the crease.